Tourism and Single use Plastic: A Mismatched Combination!
Airlines, Hotels, Motels, Restaurants, Shops and Manufacturers should work together to combat single use plastic pollution!
Dhaka 16th February 2022: ‘The tourism industry, airlines, hotels, motels, and restaurants must shift from single-use plastic to alternatives. And eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging for the good of our environment and public health, said Syed Marghub Murshed, former secretary of Bangladesh and President of ESDO.
Virtual stakeholder consultation and roundtable meeting were organized by Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO today (Wednesday) to discuss the strategy for phasing out Single-Use Plastic (SUP) products. Syed Marghub Murshed, Former Secretary of Bangladesh and President of ESDO dignified the event as the chief guest.
The demand for single-use plastics items has increased with safety being a high concern at the time of this pandemic among tourists and take-away services being on the rise. But single-use plastic items and packaging do not have sanitization measures in themselves – the virus can survive on these – and can represent touchpoints as they could have been contaminated during their production, transport, or handling. On the other hand, these SUP products are one of the main causes of pollution.
The tourism business is one of the major contributors to the problem of excessive plastic consumption, but it is also a victim of it. Plastic makes up 73 percent of beach litter worldwide, according to National Geographic, and 85 percent of floating trash and 45 percent to 95 percent of litter found on the seafloor in the Mediterranean Sea. Straws, bottles, and cotton buds are the most common items found. Tourists are both responsible for the development of waste and are repulsed by the quality of the destination’s environment, creating this double dilemma.
Ms. Keya Khan, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Forest and Climate Change stated that tourist hotspots and many other places are constantly being polluted with rubbish, including polythene, empty plastic bottles, and packets, left scattered by tourists. This is hampering the natural beauty and our biodiversity. We must take responsibility for that. We need to change our behavior in order to phase out single use plastic completely.
Jabed Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer (Additional Secretary), Bangladesh Tourism Board said that Cox’s Bazar and Kuakata is one of the most popular tourist spots not just in Bangladesh but worldwide and these places are being contaminated by plastic frequently. If we can make cox’s bazaar single use plastic free then it will be a great achievement for us not just nationally but also internationally.
According to Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh and Chief Executive, BELA ‘Single-use plastic products (SUPPs) may epitomize convenience, but with the damage, they cause through production, distribution, and litter, they are a major threat to environmental and human health. SUPPs should be phased out for a variety of reasons, including open burning of plastic waste, eating of plastic-contaminated seafood, and the generation of dangerous microplastics.’
Bangladesh Plastic Association’s President, Mr. Shamim Ahmed stated ‘Along with the tourism sector, airline sectors also need to choose single-use plastic alternatives. Internationally flight agencies are pledging to move towards plastic-free service. I think we can learn from that and work on it.’
Dr. Shahriar Hossain, Secretary General of ESDO and one of the guest speakers of the event said that Bangladesh being the first country to enact a law prohibiting the use of polythene bags has failed to implement and control polythene pollution over the years. However, the country’s optimistic judiciary recently expressed its concern about single-use plastic products in coastal areas, hotels, motels, and restaurants, as well as the associated health and environmental risks. Furthermore, the High Court has directed the executive body to implement a proper ban on single-use plastic products, particularly those that are commonly used. This law needs to be implemented strictly.
Among other guest speakers, Shahid Hamid, Pacific Asia Travel Association Bangladesh Chapter shared his insights regarding the matter and how destinations (national and local governments), businesses (accommodation providers, tour operators, suppliers, airlines, etc.), and supporting organizations (business associations, academia, lawyer, etc.) have a critical role to play in addressing the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, ensuring that single-use plastic products use should be stopped and other plastics are used circularly.
Among the other speakers are Siddika Sultana, Executive Director of ESDO, Syed Ghulam Qadir, Vice President, Bangladesh Outbound Tour Operators Association – BOTOA and ESDO’s Technical Advisor, Syed Mahbubul Islam Bulu, President, Tourist Guide Association of Bangladesh, M Rezaul Karim, President, Tour Operator Owners Association of Cox’s Bazar -TOAC, respected faculty members from different universities and different electronic and print media journalists were present at the event. A Thematic presentation was presented by Hridita Ferdous, Assistant Program officer, ESDO.
ESDO is working relentlessly to ensure biological diversity since its formation in 1990. It is the pioneer organization that initiated the anti-polythene campaign in 1990 which later resulted in a complete ban of polythene shopping bags throughout Bangladesh in 2002. Since then, ESDO has been advocating continuously for the complete ban of Single-use Plastic. As a result, the High Court of Bangladesh based on a writ petition filed by BELA on behalf of ESDO has ordered the authorities concerned to prepare the ground for banning single-use plastics in coastal areas, hotels, motels, and restaurants across the country in 2021 year. Later in a hearing on 10th February 2021, the High Court of Bangladesh has ordered the concerned authorities to phase out Single-use plastic products within 31 December 2022 from the coastal area. Following the High Court’s order, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change have issued a gadget instructing all concerned to completely stop the use of single-use plastic from 12 coastal districts of Bangladesh by 2023.
For more information please contact:
Hridita Ferdous
Assistant Program Officer – ESDO
Email: info@esdo.org,
hridita@esdo.org
Mobile: +8801726053420
